Scouring Feathers
by Mafagafos
Summary: After the apocalypse Castiel is missing and Dean is searching for his angel and what he has lost. DEAN / CASS SLASH
1. Chapter 1

At midnight, bathed by the moon light, any path cracking within the forest would look beautiful, just like the one the two brothers were running through now. But neither had time to appreciate the view while the trees got closer together in their way, running in front and away from them were four little wood colored dots. Dean and Sam were desperately trying to reach them before those nasty creatures could get any closer to camps or nearby cities; this task was proving to be a challenge for the boys.

After hearing from Bobby about some strange deaths occurring the Winchester hunters set off to investigate, they found the remains of a whole family in the woods, all the corpses bared the same bizarre characteristic, they were all hollow, the outside was intact but the insides were completely gone. There was no doubt something really bad was going on, so for days the boys set camp there, taking turns sleeping. A week later it finally happened; unfortunately it wasn't something to hunt. Apparently a newly wed couple had the amazing idea of enjoying their honeymoon appreciating the stars at night far away from the noisy urban centers and obvious vacation destinies.

During the previous night Dean went to sleep letting Sam take the first watch where he met a woman while filling a bucket with water from a public tap. He noticed she looked like crap, a waste in his opinion as she was really beautiful, uncombed and dirty hair, the clothes were a mess as well, and there were smudges all over her temple.

"Are you finished?"

Hitting Dean awake her words made him realize he was standing in the way carrying his filled bucket. "Oh, yeah; sorry" and steeped aside for her.

She looked kinda desperate. "I've seen you around with you brother"- Dean said (he took a risk with the brother thing).

"Paul's my husband!" She was blunt and used a tone that stated "back off" in every word.

"Ow" Still curious about her state he kept going on, "You guys aren't adjusting so well to the camping thing hum?"

She finished getting water and rose, "He's not felling very well. That's all; I'm taking care of him". Now she sounded tired, and it was then that Dean realized, in her face it wasn't just dirt or earth, it was blood!

"Hey, are you sure you don't want any help?"

"No, thank you, I can do it, I'm his wife."

"Is it serious? You know the nearest doctor is probably miles away."

"Is just a stomach virus or something."

"But you know over here these things..."

"Thank you!" Saying that she turned her back and went back the way she came. Dean waited so she was within a safe distance and followed her to her tent.

It sure looked like a stomach thing; the man was laying down grabbing his abdomen, moving around and making some incredibly painful faces. She tried to make him drink some water but he would only refuse it and turn away to vomit blood in a near bucket. It looked really serious. Not sure what to do about it Dean went back and called Sam to give his opinion.

"I don't know dude, it could be something he ate. You should stay away from food you don't know in a place like this. We better convince them to get out of here and find a doctor, or find some help for them". So it was Sam's turn to try and put some reason into the couples heads, he got out of their hiding place and took a trail to their tent, he presented himself saying he was the brother from the guy she met and pretended to be a pre-med. It didn't go so well, the man wasn't thinking straight and didn't seem to even realize he was there, his wife got mad and started yelling for Sam to get the hell of there.

They came to the conclusion that there was nothing they could do, and decided to search for some help in the morning, maybe some guards or something like that. But there was no time for that, close to midnight Sam heard the same woman screaming, it was so loud that even thought their camps was far apart he could swear she was just a few meters away. Dean woke up without Sam needing to wake him. They grabbed any weapon they could and ran back to where they left that young couple. By the time they got there the wife couldn't scream any more, she was just wide eyed starring at her husband that now, even though he was obviously dead he was moving vigorously.

Arms, legs and head hanging while his torso jumped up and down, terrified by the scene both Sam and Dean stood immobilized. What happened next was one of the grossest thing they had ever seen, and they've seen a bunch of gore already. Paul's torso stopped moving, something was clearly inside of him, now pushing it's was out through the man's throat, grotesquely enlarged, then to his mouth, opening wide they could see something jelly like, wooden colored come out slowly, like a shiny ball, when it was completely out came a second one, and the a third, and finally the fourth one. Sam was about to puke himself when the four things started moving, both brothers assumed combat position and aimed their guns. The disgusting little things revealed four paws and cracks where eyes should go, then set off running fast.

And for about a good half hour all the hunters did was run after the little bastards. When the creatures did a turn Dean saw his chance and aimed, fired and hit one of them right in the head, and so did Sam, hitting one of them in what should be the stomach. Both down they actually kind of exploded, the other two despaired behind some bushes. The brothers did the same turn and jumped the low vegetation, they found the missing targets, and also more.

Like they were cuddling, two other of the same creatures stood with the runaways, but they were clearly older, much bigger and with _fricking huge_ spines all over their backs. During the horrible fight that proceeded Sam almost had his bellybutton pierced by a retractable trunk, he managed to escape in the last second. After the hard battle was over, and the younger (and now unprotected) monsters were also turned into stains in the ground Sam took a second to analyze the stick thing that came out of the trunk.

"Man...Those are eggs! That's just too gross."

"Wait a minute! These things are putting their _man juice_ inside people?" Dean raised both eyebrows.

"Yeah, and then it seems they grow inside, and well...feed," Sam started walking the path back to the camps making a nasty face.

"That's it, those sons of bitch go to the top of my list of nasty bastards, right before Ruby." He went down the track with Sam, took his cell phone out and checked for his messages.

"No word from Cass yet?"

"Nope, not even a x-mas virtual card. You could think an angel, for god sake, would be a little more caring around this time of the year." Dean pocketed the phone again with a frown. For the last few months after all the apocalypse commotion Castiel simply despaired, without saying a word. They lost contact, the angel wouldn't return messages or appear after the prayers Dean got used to doing every night for him now.

Sam gave a deep tired sight and said: "You know there is probably more of those around, a family of four was killed here." That statement didn't do any good for Dean's frown. For another week they hunted down the creatures until they were sure none were left. But there were several people still missing. Even thought they could kill all the adult forms they never found a way to stop the ones inside people from growing and feasting on the host without killing the person.

All Dean could think of was that if Castiel had been there those infected people could have stood a chance; maybe the angel had the power to take those things out. Make it all right again. With his angel beside him Dean always felt more encouraged, and for some time now he had been trying to locate the guy, and not just by prayer, but also using any contact he had to look for a guy with the vessel's description. He even searched for him in Jimmy's house, maybe after the war the angel would simply went back to the heavens and left Jimmy to his family once again, but that wasn't the case either.

Dean knew he had grown closer to the angel in the time they spent together fighting, in the beginning it scared the man a little, but after some time without Cass he thought it was just a natural thing and decided not to think about it.

Yet another month passed and no news came up, only more cases, each one creepier then the previous, the battle for the world was over but the battles in it were still on, and it seemed to be getting worse. Truth was that Dean was really felling tired of all that, not that he even thought of letting go and stop hunting, but it sure got empty.

---

_-Damn those hot nights in those second rate hotels_-, this one didn't even have decent fan. Back in Kansas the boys were investigating what looked like just another murdering ghost in the "Sacred Church's nursing home for the elderly and the impaired of Kansas". Dean was wearing only his loose boxers and his body was spread all over the bed, unlike him Sam was just fine, snoring and all. _How can he do it?_ Dean thought; and the idea of throwing a pillow at him seemed really pleasant now, but something erased this and every other thought in his mind.

The man felt a nice and refreshing sensation on his temple, someone put a cold cloth in his head, opening his eyes surprised he couldn't believe his eyes. There was Castiel, sitting on the bed, sympathetic blue eyes looking at him with care. Dean had been wishing for this re encounter but now he was too surprised to say anything, something wasn't right.

"Cass? How...What' you doing?" Dean sat on the bed so he would be on the same level as the angel.

"You were felling hot," He answered with the same casual tone he always had; of someone with the confidence of doing something completely normal for the situation.

Dean couldn't help but smile, "Well ... Thank you. But hey Cass, where the hell were you?"

Castiel looked away into a point in the infinite before saying, "Searching for answers...now I'm searching for other things. I'm sorry I wasn't beside you all this time Dean." He lowered his head looking sad suddenly.

"Hey man, that's not it. Don't worry, I don't need to be taken care of," Dean said, but thought of himself -_Liar_-. He also reached for the angel's arm to reassure him.

Castiel looked up again, a bit puzzled, still a bit sad. He then looked to Dean's body. Dean forgot that he was only wearing his underpants; he felt the blood rushing in his cheeks making him go red for some reason. The angel raised his hand touched softly Dean's chest with his finger tips, running down his hand until he touched the waistband of the boxers. Dean's jaw dropped, he had no reaction for that.

"I've never seen your skin before, or felt it."

"Yeah, I... I don't think so, no."

"Why?" He cocked his head questioning it as if it was the most natural question in the world and in heaven.

Even more naturally he grabbed the boxers with both hands and lowered them down to Dean's knees. The action was so sudden that the boy just let it happen. But when he finally grasped what was going on consciousness kicked in and he retreated out of bed.

"Hey...wait…what the hell is this?"

But Castiel ignored him and left the bed walking in his direction, reaching Dean he slipped his hand around the other man's torso and chest, Dean still tried to avoid his touch but his body wasn't going to let go. It just felt so good. Close to one another Castiel moved his touch in Dean's skin's extension, the new feeling of it all was trilling. The angel lifted the man's built arms around his neck so the hunter could embrace him as well, then he let his fingers disappear in to the short brown hair and made his way into both sides of Dean's face.

He pulled their faces together, Dean saw every crack on the angel's generous lips and they crashed in a passionate kiss, Castiel was nothing near shy and neither was Dean. He didn't care any more about concerns or right and wrong, he wanted to teach Castiel, even thought he liked the Angels clumsy kiss, and he wanted to learn from him as well. Castiel didn't stop at his lips, he nibbled the man's chin and jaw while his hands went further south. In a second they used to take breath Dean looked deep into the blue eyes in front of him, losing himself. It was another second until he realized he was laying down again.

Confused, he sat up panting on the bed turning to look around, Sam was snoring louder then ever, but there was no sign of Castiel. _"Damn it! That's just great!"_ He was having dreams now. He picked a look down his boxers, "And I'm gonna need another shower".

In the morning it was time for work again. A very frustrated Dean put on his suit and grabbed his fake badge going with Sam to the nursing home. Apparently a few of the residents saw strange things, people who were already dead walking around, and of course the deaths, one man had fallen down a set of stairs, another drowned in the pool and there was an lady that was run over by a truck after her wheel chair went crazy and down the street for no reason.

"Federal agents investigating a couple of accidents over here?" The mother like nurse in charge, Linda, raised an eyebrow at them.

"We are only to ensure those deaths were accidental, families are getting worried about leaving their relatives in this situation Madam," Sam said it with a very professional tone after putting his badge away.

"Humf! Worried my ass! The last time half of the people here had visitors I was still sending Xmas cards using the god damn post man." She was unhappy, but agreed to let them investigate and question some of the residents, the ones that claimed they saw something.

"I'm going with you, to make sure you are not breaking the serenity around here... And you Rob, come here boy," She was gesturing to a handsome young man in white outfit caring a tray with a meal on it. "He still isn't eating?"

"No, he refuses it, like it wasn't there, I couldn't do it either. It's bad, we can go on giving what he needs through his IV," The young nurse looked concerned.

"Yes honey, I now," Linda sounded even more motherly now. "Come here, you have to help me with something, you are going to accompany this agent - and pointed Dean - he has to make some questions about the accidents, don't let him disturb anyone! Only necessary questions! I asked Carol to take your duties for some time."

"_Don't let him disturb anyone!_" What does she think Dean is going to do? Do the bad cop/good cop routine on the _elderly and the impaired_? And now this brat was following him around.

The afternoon went by really slowly as the brothers tried to get more information on what was going on at night in the home; most patients there were lonely grandpas and grandmas desperate for some attention. Sam had patience and knew how to deal with them, now Dean... that was another very different scenario.

"And then the worst happened," - Mr. Campbell continued in his report, very excited to be telling his story to a federal agent – "...they only had cinnamon biscuits "

"..."

"I'm allergic to cinnamon."

"...ok...but what about last Saturday night Mr. Campbell, you said to Nurse Linda you saw someone walking around past sleep hours, tell me about it and not about the time when you lived in a different place." A few hours of that sort of conversation was making Dean feel almost homicidal.

"Please don't be blunt with our residents, it makes them nervous," - And then there was Robert; the good, calm and pestering nurse boy, Dean wanted to make him became one of the residents already. Somehow he managed to control his temper and try again with the old man.

"Mr. Campbell, please, if you could tell me about the person you saw wandering the halls that night Mr. Hines fell down the stairs, that would really be useful."

"Oh that of course... hahaha turns out that was just Robert here, I asked him to get me an extra blanket for my feet."

"..."

"It can get so cold around here sometimes."

"..."

Dean felt bitten up; he needed some rest before going on with that nonsense. He asked Robert directions to the bathroom. He made his way down the hall, controlling himself not to break out running out of that place as fast as he could. Passing thought some of the rooms in that floor he gave a few quick glances into the glass squares meant to keep an eye on the occupants. Sun bath time was up on the yards so all of them were empty now. All except by the very last one, when the boy looked at it he almost went blind, the bright light of the sun was now right behind the room ,entering directly through the windows, but there was something more, blinking and using his hand to protect his eyes he tried to focus on that figure. What he saw could blind him again.

It was an angel.


	2. Chapter 2

Could it be another dream? Or Dean maybe was just going nuts after interviewing the patients? Whatever it was he couldn't believe it was real. Castiel, standing there, appreciating the view from the window. Nothing else mattered. Dean must have gazed there for a least a minute because Robert's annoying voice brought his feet back to the ground.

"Just how many times am I going to have to _gently_ ask of you detective…do not disturb our patients," The nurse's expression with a single eyebrow cocked made Dean _gently_ want to hit him.

"You can see him too?" But the answer didn't really matter; Dean was suddenly felling something pleasant inside.

"Of course I can see him."

"Yeah!" was all Dean was able to elaborate. He looked again to the room and saw Castiel looking back at him, with that so familiar puzzled face and titled head.

"Dean," The angel said very clearly through the glass.

Without even thinking twice Dean moved and tried to reach the doorknob, but Robert cut in front before that.

"What the hell you think you are doing?"

Now the nurse boy had managed it. Dean was pissed.

"Get out of my way!"

"No, John is a very special case and we can't stress him any further. He couldn't be of any help for you anyway, he barely communicates with us."

"John?" He couldn't understand that name for the angel, Castiel had a name.

Robert made a embarrassed face, "…Doe…He never said his name"

'_Well that's just stupid__,' _Dean thought, "How did him end up here?"

Robert paused for a moment before speaking. "The police brought him here almost a month ago, he was found wandering and babbling in the street."

Dean became worried, but Robert was still in front of the door, inflating his chest and giving him a tough man's look. Well, he just wasn't man enough for Dean Winchester that with a single push he threw the nurse boy away.

Opening the door with one quick movement he was facing Castiel. After months of searching, after the dreams and prayers, Castiel was there, yet Dean wasn't moving or talking. So the angel made the first move, he smiled.

"Dean…it is good to see you again, you came."

"Cass…it's really you this time!" The hunter was still afraid that the whole thing was just another dream. He had to make sure, but wasn't really thinking when he let himself go in for a tight hug, bringing the other man's face closer and resting his own head on Castiel's shoulder. The angel was very real, his skin, arms and scent proved so.

"I'm glad to see you man, where were you!?" Dean pulled back from the hug a bit red realizing what he was doing, but still holding him by the arms.

"I… I don't really know," Castiel frowned making deep lines appear in his forehead trying to remember. "I was taken back……somewhere," He looked to Dean examining his features "I…need to do it," With every word he became more exasperated. "I have to…"

Dean felt the other man's body weaken, Castiel was falling down, his legs not able to sustain his weigh anymore, and grabbing a hold of him Dean sustained the angel placing him in the bed by the wall.

"Cass! Hey man, what's going on!?"

That moment Robert came back inside the room and laid Castiel in the bed. Cass was still trying to say something but was too weak to do it, all he could do was mumble and move slightly his arms. Robert was checking his blood pressure now.

"Not good," He turned angry at Dean, "Happy now?"

Dean could only look helplessly felling guilty, he had no idea of what was going on, and was very preoccupied with Cass.

Cass was still moving weakly and trying to reach for something, but going paler every second, looking like he was about to faint. Robert took a syringe from his pocket and filled it with water like liquid he took from a bottle. A moment after applying it Castiel stopped struggling and rested calm in is bed.

"What was this? What's wrong with him?" Dean demeaned from the nurse.

"You made him get too agitated, I tried to warn you, this patient's state is delicate. He is weak and poorly nurtured, he refuses to eat and gets like this very easily, now please, lets leave him resting here." He motioned to the door for Dean to follow him. Dean was still worried but there was nothing he could do now, Cass was laying down looking at the ceiling. It cut Dean's heart to leave the room but he wanted to know more, he needed to talk more with Robert.

"Since when was he like that?"

"Sorry detective, but I don't see how this is going to help, he can't help you with the investigation, I don't see how it's relevant," Robert was visibly still angry.

"He is very relevant!" Dean barked at the small man I front of him, fixing his eyes deadly over the nurse.

Robert sighted looking unpleased and told him everything about Castiel since he was brought to the nursing home and all about his condition. He wasn't very communicative, seemed to remember only a few glimpses of his life and several times a day he would remember something he was supposed to do, getting so agitated they had to sedate him, at first it wasn't such a problem, but refusing to eat he got weaker and weaker. The nurses were all worried. Even though recluse everyone could see how that person was kind and peaceful, they started to care for him.

---

"I don't know dude, it sounds strange," Sam said.

"Yeah, I know," The brothers were now in a corner were they could keep the conversation in private.

'I mean…since when does Cass needs food to get going?" Sam was always right to the point. "And why can't him simply warp out of here? Or contact us if he recognizes you…are you sure that was Cass?"

All that made sense in Dean's head, but he had other things more urging worrying him, like how bad Cass looked. "It was him Sam! We got find out what's happening with him."

"Dude…ok I get it, but we still have to solve this case."

Dean had forgotten all about the murders, the thought of Castiel left alone in this place in the state he was in gave Dean new motivation on finding what thing was causing the killings. "Good then, sneaking in during the night is an option?"

Sam sighted, he was taking care of the technical parts "No, the nurses have shifts all over the night, watching the residents. We gotta be discrete. I think the best way is for us to keep the disguise and guard the place, they'll buy it".

"Seems like a plan," Dean stretched and the boys prepared for what was going to be long night waiting.

And that night passed slowly and boring. Drinking coffee to keep awake, wandering the halls, getting to know the nurses and doing some further digging. The night workers didn't see much either. During his patrol Dean visited Castiel room as many times as he could.

The angel sleep all night, Dean couldn't remember seeing something so beautiful, tangled in his sheets, breathing heavily, illuminated by the moonlight entering the room. Even sick, Castiel managed to look angelical and calm. During that night Dean tried imagining everything that could have happened. He remember Anna in a similar situation, which was probably the reasonable explanation, Cass lost his angel mojo, his grace. It didn't cover all, but it was a theory.

---

Morning came, the boys decided it was safe again with all the residents walking and going for their morning activities. Workers changed shifts. Noting happened at night, not even a small clue. Both brothers had visible bags under their eyes and needed some urgent sleep.

"Thank god old people wake up early, we can go to bed now," A bad night and working mornings made Dean a cranky boy.

Sam yawned before agreeing. "Yeah, the impaired too. Let's go to the hotel room, I don't care how hard the mattress is, I'm sleeping right away."

"Hey listen, I'm going to check on Cass first, then we can go."

"Again? Dean, he is being taken care of here, I'm worried as well, but there is nothing we can do."

Dean himself couldn't explain why he was so preoccupied, finding Castiel lit something new inside of him that the hunter couldn't quite explain. "I know Sammy, I just wanna make sure."

"Ok, I'll go wait in the car then." Sam gave up and made his way to the parking lot with big heavy steps.

Dean had already mapped the entire place in his head and nodded to some familiar faces on the way to Cass's room. At the door he had to stop before entering. Perfect nurse of the year was there already.

"I don't know what to do with you John," Robert was talking to Castiel as if he were some sort of spoiled little kid that didn't want to have his vegetables. "You gotta eat something."

Between them a tray with a light breakfast was untouched, a simples cheese and ham sandwiched, a pear, crackers, juice and a pudding. Something caught Dean's attention though, Roberts was sitting in the end of Castiel's bed, he wondered if it was normal nurse/resident behavior.

"Sure you don't want to try the pear?" He was now holding the fruit in front of Castiel's face with a dumb expression, again Dean felt like hitting the guy.

In response Castiel just stood there eyeing the pear but didn't motion to get it. Robert sighted. "Ok then, we'll just have to come up with something else, I'll leave this here and I'll be right back." He blinked and added. "Don't worry," Then he got up and ran his fingers in Castiel's hair before turning to the door. Now Dean felt an urge to shoot the bastard. Dean turned the corner he came from before Robert was out so he wouldn't have trouble talking to Cass again.

"Hey Cass…can I come in?"

Castiel smiled when he turned to see his visitor on the door and spoke in a glad tone: "Dean."

Smiling as well Dean entered the room and sit on the bed beside Cass. "How you are doing today?"

He chuckled "I feel fine, and how about you?"

"I'm cool Cass," Dean straightened the bed sheets before going on. "You seem kind of tired."

"I do feel out of energy these days, you are perceptive."

"And do you know why?" Dean was trying to go gently, he didn't want to scare Cass or make the guy have another moment like the day before.

"Well, I figured this is how you were supposed to feel." He said it still calm and smiling tired.

Dean was even more confused now "What do you mean Cass?"

"Humans aren't supposed to feel tired? I thought it happened all the time with you, I thought as well resting was a good way to restored the lost energy, but I don't think I'm doing it right."

"Wait? Human? You…you mean you're human?" That statement caught Dean off guard; he could understand the out of grace thing, but human?

"Yes, I think I'm supposed to be one now."

"How?"

"I think it's got to do with my part in our fight to defeat Lucifer, I think I wasn't supposed to get that much involved, I rebelled, I killed."

"So what? You are being punished?"

"It seem likely," Cass finished

All that disgusted Dean, how could the Heavens, after everything the Angel did, expel him? Leave him on Earth like an outcast? Without powers, without guidance. Dean could imagine what it was like to suddenly loose everything and see yourself forced into this new life direction, with no guidance; after all he had been trough the same once.

While Dean was feeling a whole turmoil of revolt inside Castiel kept his easy expression of absolute serenity. Regardless of that anyone could see he's paleness and tired looks. It was then that the gravity of the situation hit Dean. Castiel wasn't eating; he was human and wasn't eating!

"Cass…why aren't you eating?"

The man titled his head before saying "Eating… yes, humans are supposed to eat right?"

"Cass…you gotta eat man!" Dean took the pudding bottle from the tray opened it and offered it to Castiel , that still looked confused, but like he was trying to figure something out.

"Here Cass, let me show you," Dean took a full spoon of the treat and shoved it in his mouth; Castiel looked all the process very curious.

He took the spoon out and jugged the contents. "No wonder you don't want to eat this thing, really dull for pudding, but still…" and he offered the bottle once again.

Cass leaned to it but then stood there looking at Dean. Thinking about what he should do Dean didn't see any problem with his train of thought, he took another spoon full of pudding, raised it and got closer to his friend. Mimicking Dean, Castiel opened his mouth and took his first piece of food like a human. Dean didn't move while Cass tasted it with eyes closed, when he opened then again he was grinning at Dean, who took another spoon of the pudding and offered it again. They spent a slow, pleasant meal together.


End file.
